In a contest that featured 548 total yards, the game came down to a foot.

The right foot of junior kicker Eric Bryan, that is.

Bryan’s 33-yard field goal as time expired here Saturday afternoon boosted the Annawan-Wethersfield Titans past the Tri-Valley Vikings, 16-13, and into the Class 2A quarterfinals.

Bryan admitted after the game the final play was “nerve-wracking,” but refused to let two consecutive timeouts called by Tri-Valley Coach Josh Roop get to him.

“I tried not to let it bother me,” Bryan said. “I tried to treat it as just a regular kick.”

The win gives the Titans a 10-1 record and a date at 4 p.m. this Saturday with Clifton Central in Clifton. The Comets, seeded No. 1 in the bracket, also are 10-1.

A-W Coach Brandon Johnston was fighting back his emotions following the game.

“This is such a special group,” he said. “They earned this win today. They battled to the final play.”

A-W went to work on its first possession of the day.

Tailback Micam Smith broke loose for a 74-yard run before being pushed out at the two.

After the Titans ran guard Michael Smith into the line three straight plays, Johnston dialed up Micam Smith’s number on fourth down and he drove it in from the one.

Bryan’s kick made it 7-0.

The Vikings answered with a 10-play, seven-minute march. It ended when quarterback Blake Cowden slithered in from the one at the 9:58 mark of the second quarter.

“Cowden’s one of the best players we’ve seen this year,” Johnston said.

A-W recaptured the advantage on the ensuing possession, driving 79 yards on seven plays. The drive ended when Micam Smith fought his way into the end zone from five yards out.

Bryan sailed the PAT kick wide right, leaving A-W up 13-7.

On the strength of a 34-yard run by quarterback Tony Gripp, the Titans threatened again just before the half. Fifteen seconds before the break, A-W faced a fourth and three on the Tri-Valley five.

“Maybe I should have called the field goal there,” Johnston said. “But I thought a touchdown going into the half would give us big momentum.”

Tri-Valley’s defense stepped up, stopping A-W’s run up the middle, keeping the score at 13-7 at intermission.

On the first play from scrimmage in the second half, A-W fullback Andrew Draminski ran 34 yards to the Tri-Valley 35, but the drive stalled, forcing a punt.

That set the tone for the third quarter as there were three punts, two turnovers on downs and a pass interception (by A-W’s Grant Baele).

Page 2 of 2 - Tri-Valley fashioned a 75-yard drive in the middle of the final period. Cowden put the exclamation point on the possession when he sprinted in from 20 yards out, knotting the score at 13 with 5:15 left.

Kicker Aaron Tagala’s attempt at the go-ahead PAT was slapped back at him by the interior of the A-W line.

The Titans started the last drive of the game on their own 35 and advanced 49 yards in five minutes.

With the ball on the Tri-Valley 16 and 2.3 seconds on the clock, Bryan was forced to compose himself through three timeouts — one called by his coach (to stop the clock), the final two by Tri-Valley.

“I watched him warm up before the game,” Johnston said, “and I knew what his capabilities were.”

Bryan felt the 33-yarder was well within his range.

“I was making 35-yarders in warm-ups,” he said, adding he’s made 45-yarders in practice.

His kick was a no-doubter, splitting the pipes with plenty of distance to spare.

“The bottom line is the players put us in position to win this game,” Johnston said. “We won it by making one more play.”

Game notes: Despite gaining just two yards in the second half, Micam Smith again led the Titans on the ground, running for 99 yards on 20 carries. Quarterback Blake Cowden led Tri-Valley with 171 yards on 26 attempts . . . The Vikings bow out of the tournament with a 9-2 record . . . This is the second trip to the quarterfinals for the A-W co-op. The Titans also did it in 2009 . . . The game-winner was Eric Bryan’s first field goal attempt of the season. He is 24 of 32 on PATs . . . A-W quarterback Tony Gripp hit 10 of 17 throws for 125 yards.